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| representatives of the peoples and i | public opinion of the Progjin::om' ixfg tll: | lieved, was four to one in tavouro"f a re-- l duction in the present period: of depression | it was their duty at .once to make the re. | duction,.(Hear, hear,.) Atter the increase had ' been made in 1876,the press otthe Province. | generally had expressed the strongest disap-- | proval of it. He knew it would be proper to give hon. gentlemen opposite notice of a motion of this kind--(hear, heary--and in 1877 the leader of the Opposition had given notice that a motion would be made then to reduce the indemnity from $$00 to the old figure of $600. The Treasurer him-- self, however, _ had _ introduced _ a motion _ to _ that -- effect, ~and ' if a compact did exist among the~ members, from thet time it was at an »end----(hear, hear)--ard thenceforward it was an open: question, That resolution of the Treasurer had been used as political capital, to make the people believe that the Tories had voted against a reduction of the indemanity, and the only effort made to reduce it came from the Grits, (Opposition cheers.) He read two _ or : three _ newspaper extracts throwing the entire blame of the " salary grab" on the Opposition members, the statements of which he declared to be untrue, The Commissioner of Public Works | accused the Opposition of raising the black | flag, but the biack flag, if raised, had been raised by. hon. gentlemen opposite and their orgavus, as both had re-- presented that the Opposition had been the main cause of the increase and had been the obstacle to its reduction. He did not believe this matter should be used for political purposes at all--(hear, hear)--and he did not want hon. gentle. men opposite to gain the advantage over their opponents which they had been at. tempting to gain, 'The Provincial Secretary had sat at a mecting in East York when a speaker had put tho blame to the door of the Opposition, and had not corrected him . Under wthese circumstances be was as blameworthy as the spcaker himself. _ He | proceeded to complain that the members of the Government had gone to dis. | tant constituencies, to the neglect of their official duties, in order to aid theoir | friends in the Dominion Government. They had not gone as individuals, but as members of the Government, and they fought to bring the influence ot the Ontario Government to the aid of their friends,. (Hear, hear.) 'The conditions upon which they had received their increased emolu-- ments they had abandoned, and therefore | there was no reason why they should con-- | tinue to exist, Hedid not think, more-- over, that it was intended that the Ministers who had received these increased emoluments should prefer their private business to the public business. HMo had noticed that the Commissioner of Public Works himself had been absent two or three months in England in the interests ot a wealthy railway corporation. (Hear, hear.) He did not desire to detain the House any longer, and he thavnked them for their patiemnt hearing. (Cheers.) Mr. HARDY said that his honourable friend who had just sat down must have convinced his hon, friends opposite that they had mado a mistake in the selec. tion of their leader. In an able speech of about three hoursg' duration he had formu-- lated bis indictment against the Govern-- ment, when the hon, member for London had been able to make his arraignment in about fiftecn minutes, But there was very little new matter in the speech of his hon. friend, except perhaps in the latter part of it, in which he had made reference to the salary question,. With regard to the speech which was madoe at Yorkville, and which he (Mr. Hardy) was accused of listening to without making any protest, he bad had the opportunity of consulting the gentleman who had made the speech, and he had found that the language that had been used was that theo increase in the salary was due equally to all members of the House. 'The posivion which tho Con-- servative newspapers had taken on the matter was that the Government were en-- tirely responsible for the increase, but the portion ot th? Iiefou:x press which Ilmd op-- ;';osed the change had always taken the broad ground that it was a wrong change, and had laid the blame upon both sides of the House alike. There was no analogy between the motion . which had been mado by the Minister of Educntiox: to reduce the indem-- nity, and the amendment to the amend-- ment now brought forward. 'The former was a fair and honourable motion, and made with fair and honourable motlives, while the Mr, HARDY--Why didu't you moveo last session? --What was the reason of this dying repentance on the part of hon, gentlemen opposite as they were proceeding to the gal-- lows? (Cheers and laughter,) They were giv. ing the lie to all theiractions tor the last three years, and attacked----what but their own action?--forthe purpose of receiving a certain amount of paltry political advantage from it, (Chcers.) They would have an op-- portunity of voting on this question when the proper time came, _ (Hear, hear. ) 'This practice of making motions during the debhate on the Address had been practically abolished in England and at Ottawa, but the Opposition here could not let the oppor-- | tunity pass of making some cheap political capital, _ Both sfics alilke were responsible, | and both sides alike should bear the respon. ' gibility, (Hear, hear.) 'There should be no shirkjng Or creeping out from their re-- | sponsibility at the last, Weither side should | charge the other with the blame of the in-- troduction of that particular measure,and no Liberal journal had sought to do so except in reply to the statements of their own organ, -- The iing sense of propriecty of _ hon. _ gentlemen _ opposite made them think that ho (Mr. Hardy), while sitting in a public meeting, should correct every misstatement that was made, _ What would they think of a gentleman who at a picnic at Owen Sound said, " With regard Mr, HARDY said that the first act of the new leader of the Opposition was as com-- prehensive as 'any 'course be had ever been able to take upon any <question. He asked if there was any parallel between the motion of the 'Freasurer in Committee, when neither side could make political capi« tal out of it, and 'a--motion of this. kind, sprung upon the House at a time when the Government and their supporters must vote against it, (Hear, hear.) ~ 1 latter was an attempt to force the supporters of the Government into: afalse position, Hon. gentlemen opposite had solemnly subscribed a document inviting the Gov-- etument to do a public . act, and they now deliberately repudiated it, (Cheers.) Mr. SCOTT rose to a point of order. is hon, friend had attributed to him certain language as an invitation to the Admin-- istration to bring down a motion to increase the indemnity to members, That language was not used until after the esti. mates were brought down providing for the increase in the indemnity. Mr. MEREDITH would not deny that he had written the letter, (Cheers.) Mr. HARDY said his hon. friend was not taking a point of order. Mr. SCOTT said that the Provincial Secretary had attributed to him, that by some document to which his signature was attached-- Mr,., HARDY said that -- the sig. nature of the hon. member for Peterboro' had been at least attached to it by a friend who was authorized to use his name, Mr, HARDY said that the document could be produced. _ Did the hon. gentle-- man deny that he had written such a letter ? Mr. LAUDER--Why didu't you reduce last session ? 8 Mr, MEREDITH challenged the hon, gentleman to produce the document, Mr. HARDY said his hon, friand was now admitting the correctness of the report, but he went too far, for this speech was deliver, | ed in 1877, before the motion was made, (Hear, hear, and laughter,) He would hold the hon. gentleman responsible for this re. | port in the Aail, because he did not deny it, _ Now, what was this motion that was put before the Houso? . By it hon. gentlemen sought, to ride into power over the ruin of .their own reputa« | tions=(chcers)--and at tho expense of re-- to the way that the Government raised their own salaries, why did not the Oppo-- sition stop it? liis answer was that they were out--voted." _ That was a speech of Mr, A. W. Lauder, M.PP., as roported in the Mast. Mr. LAUDCER--It is not trae. _ 1 unever made such a statement--(laughtery--out-- side of this House since the indemnity was raised,. Mr. HARDY was glsd his houn, friend had for onco repudiated the Bfail, and he was bound to accopt his denial, Mr. LAUDEKR said & motion' was made last session to reduce the salary of the Attorney--General. +